Blues Band will ring in the New Year

Monday

Dec 31, 2012 at 9:23 AMDec 31, 2012 at 9:23 AM

By Andy Barrand

ABarrand@hillsdale.netHILLSDALE – With their, unique Michigan groove, the Who Dat? Blues Band will ring in the New Year at the historic Dawn Theater with the Black and Blues Ball tonight.The band with its Chicago Blues flavor will be joined on stage by legendary Blues singer Eddie Blue Lester.The band was started in 1999 by Hillsdale resident Brian "BA" Anderson on guitar, Herman "Doc" McCall on the drums and Ronnie "Coach" Parker on bass guitar. The band is rounded out with Michael "Professor" Doyle on saxophone and Gwinyai "Gee" Mumbiro singing lead.The band has been rocking stages across Michigan, Indiana and Ohio with its unique groove.While attending Hillsdale College three of them started out as the MAP Jazz Band in 1980.Anderson’s journey to becoming a musician started at the age of three when his parents bought him his first guitar.Anderson admits his music style back then wasn’t much more than strumming on the strings, but it was a start. By the age of 5 or 6 Anderson began focusing on the Motown greats. Guitar greats, such as B.B. King, Grant Green and George Benson among others.At 8-years old Anderson started his first band the Fabulous Conducts, with five lead singers and a variety of instrumentalists.Anderson said although the band played traditional Blues music as a child he looked up to another legend. He looked up to Jimmy Hendrix.Anderson had the opportunity to meet Hendrix while shopping for a new guitar one day at Herb Davis’ Music Store in Ann Arbor.He said if it wasn’t for his father pointing Hendrix out to him that day he would of never had the opportunity to shake his hand.Anderson still has the guitar he purchased that day, after recently having it refurbished he looks to use it on stage again."Once I heard Jimmy’s music, he is the only one I began to focus on," Anderson said.Today, after 54 years of playing the Blues, Anderson said he still enjoys taking the stage."It is a very cool life," he said. "There is going to be a lot of people from all over at the show."The band will take to the stage playing a wide variety of music including original pieces from Lester, ones from the band and cover pieces."We will be playing a lot of cover music, but it will be a good time," he said. "We all do it because we enjoy it. We love to entertain."The band just recently finished its second studio album "Home Cooking" with all original music."Herman and Ronnie are pretty creative writers," Anderson said.The party will begin at 7:30 p.m. when the doors open at the theater. The band will take the stage at 9 p.m. playing until 1 a.m. Admission is $15 a person and includes appetizers, party favors and a Champaign toast at midnight.